How far would you agree that "The Duchess and the Jeweller" depicts the moral decadence of the nobility.
Do you think "The Duchess and the Jeweller" shows how the noble people were becoming morally worse?
Well, this story is about a Duchess and a jeweler named Oliver Bacon. The Duchess is from a high-class family, and the jeweler is from a regular background. Oliver Bacon has worked hard to become a famous jeweler not only in England but all around the world. He didn't have a good past though; he used to sell stolen dogs. On the other hand, the Duchess comes from a wealthy and important family.
Oliver Bacon is single and he loves the Duchess's daughter, Diana. He tries to gain respect and status by using his money, while the Duchess wants to keep her family's honor intact by selling her family's jewels and pearls, even if they're fake.
The Duchess knows that Oliver likes her daughter Diana. She invites Oliver to her house, saying that Diana will be there, so they can spend time together. But her real plan is to trick Oliver by giving him a fake pearl and making him distracted. She doesn't want him to realize it's fake, so she gets a lot of money from him, around twenty thousand pounds.
In this story, we see that the rich upper class is facing economic troubles and their morals are getting worse. At the same time, the lower class is becoming richer and wants to be respected like the upper class.
